When Tyler Cadorette became an on-air reporter and weather anchor at WMTW-TV in Portland, Maine, soon after he graduated, his duties — and the station itself, where he had had an internship — were familiar to him.
In landing an on-air position in a market as big as Portland just out of college, Tyler credits the experience he gained working at News7, VTSU’s student-run campus TV station. As a broadcast and digital journalism student, he was a reporter, editor, and producer at the station, which covers about 15 nearby towns and has a live newscast every weeknight.
“The live aspect at News7 is a big draw for students. It sets the program apart, here in New England and across the country,” Tyler said. “I felt like I worked in a professional TV newsroom for two years.”
Atmospheric Sciences Minor Gives Him an Advantage in His Career
The skills Tyler developed at News7 helped him get the internship giving weather forecasts at his current station. “My experience really put me ahead of where others might have been going into an internship. I understood how things worked,” he said.
In his senior year, Tyler continued his connection with WMTW as a substitute weather anchor. After graduation, he worked freelance on the assignment desk until his current full-time position opened up.
The atmospheric sciences minor he pursued prepared him to work in WMTW’s meteorology department. “That was a huge stepping stone in terms of being able to break into the TV industry,” he said. “Being versatile in the TV world is important. It’s nice to have that in my back pocket, the science, math, and weather background.”
A Campus that Feels Like Home
For Tyler, the campus environment was welcoming and supportive. “I went there and didn’t know anybody. I left four years later with a new family. That feeling of family and close-knit community helped propel me into adulthood,” he said.
It also propelled him onto his career track.
“You have the opportunity to set your own path and…make the experience what you want for yourself,” Tyler said.
He’s Making an Impact Early On
Today, Tyler is making a living as a reporter at WMTW with on-air reports every week.
“To step right into a job like this is not a very common thing,” said Tyler, who lives in Saco, Maine. “It certainly wouldn’t have been possible without the experience I got at NVU…It has been a dream come true to be in this market in my home state.”
Reporting on issues that impact people’s lives is fulfilling for Tyler. “I thoroughly love getting to talk with people to tell their stories,” he said. “You meet people on the best days and sometimes the worst days of their lives … That, to me, is very rewarding.”
One of his most memorable stories was about a boy hospitalized with cancer who wanted Christmas cards during the holidays. National TV networks picked up the story, and the boy received thousands of cards from around the country. “To know I played a small role in that was pretty awesome,” Tyler said. “It was a really telling moment for me: this is why I do what I do.”
